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Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

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Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#1

Post by dotdashdashdash »

Sorry for the mini-rant, I’m just a bit lost at the moment. I don’t know whether it’s worth looking at changing careers, trying to stick with it or something else I haven’t thought of. I’ve been working in the industry for 14 years and feel like I’m old and jaded. I got a bit burnt out a couple of years ago working 70-hour weeks and haven’t been able to bounce back since. Now, whenever I’m coding, it just feels like an enormous effort to get anything done. I’ve tried to work on different projects and things that are more in line with my interests, but that hasn’t really seemed to help. I’ve worked in various management roles over the years and have been drawn more towards that side of things at the moment, mainly because it isn’t coding. I feel like I’m average at best as a manager, but I have ASD so there are a few aspects of it that I really struggle with. I feel like I could work on these aspects, but it will always be draining and it will never be easy the way coding used to be. The other problem with management is that most people want you in-house for that, whereas I enjoy the freedom of contracting.

Has anyone come back from being burnt out to love what they do again? If so, how did you manage to do it?

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#2

Post by nicoburns »

> I’ve tried to work on different projects and things that are more in line with my interests, but that hasn’t really seemed to help

I think once you hit burnout, you need to completely stop doing the activity entirely to really recover. Switching to a less draining variant helps before you hit full on burnout.

If you are in a position to do so I'd recommend taking 6 months out of work, and go and do something where you have no pressure to be productive. That might be personal projects. It might be travelling the world. If you have any hobbies or interests that you usually don't get as much time as you like pursue, then that might be a good starting point.

A 2 week vacation might also help if such a long break isn't practical for you.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#3

Post by prox »

Burn out is mostly a question of how your resources (energy, time, mental space, relaxation) are spent. In burn out, your resources are quickly drained. So it might be that what you do isn’t as important as how you do it. I was able to escape the worst of it through a lot of work with a professional. A good one will aid you in finding pleasure again in your life and work. From setting clear boundaries to how you look at time and your energy. It took me years though and a considerable amount of effort to do that as we are ingrained into patterns often that don’t or no longer serve us.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#7

Post by joshuaxls »

You can definitely recover from burnout. The question is are you ready to face what happens after you recover? Because sometimes burnout is just burnout and you need a break. But other times burnout means you are on the wrong path, and you’ve got to make some kind of turn in your career.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#8

Post by FearNotDaniel »

Yes, it's possible. Give yourself time to recover, as long as it takes, and time after that to rediscover the joy. That may mean, for a little while, grinding away at some kind of unsatisfying but low-stress job while doing your own little "joy" projects in your spare time, or training in a new platform/language just to remind yourself of the fun of starting again from scratch.

Nobody says you have to be a manager, or take a permanent role. This time is a gift - an opportunity to sidestep whatever "career track" you thought you were expected to follow and instead figure out your own values and priorities - it sounds like you've already gone along way towards that, at least you know what you don't want.

We are uniquely blessed in this business with such a wide range of opportunities and modes of working. The rise of remote work has only made that better. Be kind to yourself, and remember that despite whatever kind of imposter syndrome may be lurking in the back of your head, you most likely have an extremely valuable skill set that continues to be in demand around the world.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?

#9

Post by zivkovicp »

Don't feel bad, I think this happens to a lot of us.

TLDR: learn to chill and enjoy your career and free time doing the things you like most, with the people you like the most.

I decided to get back to a technical role (from management) because it's what got me excited about tech in the first place; but I have become very protective of my time.

MY TIME is just that, and not for sale, and non-negotiable.

I don't mind not being the best in the room, and I feel it's better that my younger colleagues get a chance to take charge while I provide support when needed.

Focus on the important things, family, hobbies, friends, building your network, and enjoying your free time. In tech you can always have a nice career and a nice salary, even if you're not at "the top"... learn to chill and enjoy your career and the wonderful opportunity you have in this golden age of technology because it won't last forever.

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